Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-03
AREYIEA NEEDED.

taking measures to bring II about, with good
prospects of success. We need revival In
several lines. but first Of all, and most OF
all. do We need revival. not so much OF
religion. as of righteousness. Messrs.
Collett. of st. Paul, and Pearson, OF the
old Center street church. have commenced
active operations. by holding eyaDgelistic
meetings on weekday nights, as well a.
Sundays. and other local pastors have in
contemplation union movement. having
for its designs the holding of meetings, In
several churches, successfully. immediately
after the union or other meetings held dur
ing the week of prayer. We like this. Az
ter such Thanksgiving a. We have en-
joyed together. over numberless mercies.
and on the eve Of the festival when the
faces the memory, and history. and charac-
ter. of the Christ child. and reviews the
birth, growth. development and achieve
ments of the religion which the divinely-
human, and the humanity divine Son
OF God brought into the world. it is emi-
nsntly fit that not only Christian people
but all Others who wish well te their race,
should consider and mature measures for
increasing tile domain OF the kingdom OF
righteousness is none other than
the kingdom of God.
For q prevailing condition Of righteous
ness is the greatest need Of this
community and of the world-and 1t
is needed in all the affairs or
business in which men engage. II is need
ed. too, in the membership of churches, Is
well as in the haunts OF vice. Christians need
such q revival Of righteousness In their
hearts and lives as shall make them utterly
unsslfish and completely devoted to the
good Of Others. Something more than re-
ligiOn is needed. C., something more than
going to church or prayer meeting, attend
ing Sabbath school. keeping the Sabbath
and paying our money for home and for
eign Christian work. This We must do. and
in most instances are glad to do, but this is
not enough. Let il be said, again and again,
that the great requirement of the age Is
that Christians should be Christ-like, cour-
teous, forbearing. charitable. affectionate,
benevolent. abundant in personal labOrs in
behalf of the unfortunate. They should
visit the sick, comfort the sorrOwing,
strengthen the weak, and devote their lives
to doing good
Again, Christmas should make practi-
cal application of Christianity to the work
of reforming the world. Nothing less than
this is effective, and it is only effective when
it is Unmixed. When We put partisan poll
tics into Christianity we spoil both the poll
tics and the Christianity. But in the mat
ter of putting Christianity into politics. or
business. or the professions. or anything
else. we cannot oveTdo. Wecannot get too
much of it into anything. Christians should
work up and develop such a revival of
righteousness that they can discuss what Is
called 1.-THE temperance question" In con-
ferences, synods. church meetings. or news
papers. without getting angry or turbulent;
they shall be in such frame of mind rs
to permanently organize such q pur-
pose as will enable them TO sell or buy
goods according to the rules of strict right
and honesty; as will lead them TO be fair
aud Just to all men; as will lead them, a
employers, TO look quite as carefully to the
interests of their men Tor womenl as to
their own; or. as employees. to he a. solici-
tous in doing good. honest, faithful work
as they may be to get good price for it.
hat rl-, rorAi,finn xynulA hN
accomplished If we could have such re-
vival among Christian people as Should
accomplish such results as these. How
Christianity. as Illustrated in the lives and
manner we have indicated. would commend
itself to the great outside world This
alone would start and maintain both reviv-
ais Of religion and Of righteousness every
where. We have now much Of this sort Of
thing. in the lives of many Christians: but
what We need is that it should prevail in
the lives of all Christians. Then the work |
OF removing the great evils and wickedness
in communities and the world would be
easy task.
1t is well to persuade men to quit drink
ing Intoxicating liquors, but man may be |
all the greater scoundrel-he may be all the |
more rabidly vlcious-for having brain |
unaffected by the fumes of alcohol. |
What drinking men need is Christianity /: |
what gamblers and loafers need is Chris |
tianity; what licentious men need is Chris |
70 ba thnppnvh ND /
complete remedy for all the real
evils Of society. and practical
application Of Christianity to all
social. political. labor and other
problems would inaugurate the reign OF the
kingdom of heaven upon earth. 1t would
bring men at once into heavenly conditions.
so that at the hour of death they would
only be passing into a larger apd freer
range Of the same sort Of spiritual life and
would scarcely be surprised or astonished
as they touch the further shore.
But, in revivals Of righteousness, the
preachers cannot do all the work. All church
should put themselves in readi-
ness to personally cooperate with them In
\ work of hand-picking. Individuals are
persuaded into the Christian life by Other
individuals. who have 50 lived and exem-
Dlified what they profess as to command
he confidence of their fellow men and 20
IS to convince them that there is something
n Christianity that they need and would Be
Ilad To have.
Let US, by all means. have a revival o.
righteousness in Springfield. Its preva-
ence would solve many troublesome loca,
problems. 1t would help business 1t
would purify politics better than that
it would purify politicians. II would